1 The arts developed very early in the history of ancient Egypt. Egyptians loved beautiful objects, and the craft items that have survived still amaze people today. There are shining gold rings and pendants, necklaces inlaid with glass and dazzling blue pottery called faience (fah-yahns). Jars made of a smooth white stone called alabaster have been preserved in almost perfect condition, along with chairs and chests made of cedar wood imported from the Near East.2 The art of ancient Egypt was extremely naturalistic, with charming portrayals of everyday scenes of hunting and fishing, or scribes and craftsmen at work. Egyptians made beautiful baskets and storage pots. Pots were made of river clay and were shaped by hand, or later, on a potter's wheel. Some were polished with a smooth pebble to make their surface shine.3 Ancient Egyptian jewelers had a fine eye for color and an excellent sense of design. Beautiful pieces of gold and silver jewelry were found in tombs of Egyptian kings. Egyptians almost never used precious stones in their works. Instead, lots of semiprecious stones were exploited: carnelian, amethyst, garnet, red and yellow jasper, lapis lazuli, feldspar, turquoise, and agate--all natural minerals of different colors.